Welcome to USAAA Weekly News, an email newsletter that addresses a range of topics on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Asperger's Syndrome.

Parent Complains About "Time-Out" Rooms in Schools

Reporter: Tara Herrschaft
Email Address: tara.herrschaft@wctv.tv

Time-out procedures are used in many Florida schools, including Leon County public schools. It is used for students with disabilities. "The time out rooms are just part of our overall behavioral plan. A plan designed to be positive," said Ward Spisso, the Director of Exceptional Student Education.

The criteria for the use of these procedures can be difficult to understand and implement. The seclusion time-out must be in essence the procedure of last resort. Teachers and administrators must try less restrictive means first. One parent says her child was put in the seclusion room just two days after being at the school. I spoke with the family attorney by phone Wednesday. "This particular case, the child was put in the room for being impolite, and another time, started on the progressive discipline for not responding when the teacher called roll, the student didn't say here," said Bob Jacobs, the family attorney.

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"it is necessary that all personnel involved in designing and implementing behavioral management procedures, including the use of time-out seclusion, be adequately trained and supervised." Arkansas Department of Education

"should be used only as a last resort in cases of danger to the student and/or others. In some specific situations, on an individual basis as determined by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), the use of seclusion and/or physical restraint may be necessary and appropriate to maintain the student’s safety or that of others. The immediate goals of seclusion and physical restraint are to defuse the dangerous situation, protect the student and others from injury, and regain a safe, controlled, productive learning environment." Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

USAAA Parent's Forum

Send us your story about your experience with autism and Asperger's Syndrome on a specific topic each week. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or have any experience with autism spectrum disorders, your stories help provide insight into the world of autism.

This week's topic: "Time Out Seclusion Rooms - Should they be used? What are the alternatives? "

Please send us your story in 500 words or less. Include your full name, email address, and in the subject line include this week's topic. Submissions are condensed and edited. Because of the volume of mail received, not all submissions are published. Information other than your name are kept confidential.

Biomedical
Please note that some of the links below take a while to download in a PDF file or open up in your browser window.

A Microscopic Study of Language-Related Cortex in Autism
Edith López-Hurtado and Jorge J. Prieto
(Thanks to David Geier for submitting this study and the following comments): These researchers also placed a role for mercury (heavy metals) with references front and center in their study. "Many toxins induce gliosis, including metals such as lead, iron and mercury, which specifically induce glial proliferation, degeneration and decreased cellular function in some regions of the brain[29-33]. Neurotoxicity of metals is primarily mediated by increased oxidative stress and both increased metals and increased oxidative stress are reported in autism[34,35]. Hypothetically, environmental exposure in sensitive subjects might underlie glial proliferation and neuronal death in the pathogenesis of autism. The increased numbers of cells containing lipofuscin may reflect (a) an environmentally-induced reactive glial response injurious to neurons, (b) an environmentally-induced direct oxidative injury to neurons, or (c) both."

HBOT at a maximum pressure of 1.5 atm with up to 100% oxygen was safe and well tolerated. HBOT did not appreciably worsen oxidative stress and significantly decreased inflammation as measured by CRP levels.

Reprinted with permission from Medical Veritas: The Journal of Medical Truth, Vol. 4, Issue 2, Nov. 2007. Medical Veritas is a publication of Medical Veritas International (MVI), www.MedicalVeritas.com. Thanks to Teri Arranga for submitting this article. This paper, adapted from conference presentations, describes various lesions found in the gastrointestinal tracts of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using endoscopy. Some of these lesions, which are illustrated in color, are common to children with ASD, while others are similar to those found in neurotypical children. While not curable, all of these lesions are treatable. What is exciting is that most of these children respond extremely well to some combination of a restricted diet, anti-inflammatory medication, probiotics, antibiotics, antifungals, and digestive enzymes.

The behavior of children with autism may improve during a fever, according to a first-of-kind study. Researchers hypothesize that fever may restore nerve cell communications in regions of the autistic brain. The restoration may help children improve socialization skills during a fever.

Best friend, indeed, for children with autismBY ANNA COLLITON
Columbia News Service

After 8-year-old Danny Gross was sent to his room for snatching his younger sister’s new umbrella, his mother found him sobbing on his bed. But Danny wasn’t upset about being punished for bullying his sister.

Instead, he was distressed because hours earlier, Pennie, the family’s golden retriever, had been left alone in the car for a few minutes. Danny, who is autistic, has a special bond with his two-year-old pet.

BRICK — In responding to a typical scenario, police officers would be extremely wary of a person running toward them, who is not responding to verbal commands and may be reaching for their badges. Their caution and tendency to act swiftly would be for good reason, too, as this is the kind of behavior they would see in someone under the influence of a drug, someone attempting to resist arrest or worse. But what if the person is autistic and means no harm? Teaching law enforcement officials how to recognize and effectively communicate with people who have the developmental disorder was the subject of a workshop here Thursday.

In This Issue:› Parent Complains About "Time-Out" Rooms in Schools
Parent's Forum: Time Out Seclusion Rooms - Should they be used? What are the alternatives?
› Biomedical
› Fever May Briefly Alleviate Autism Symptoms
› Best friend, indeed, for children with autism
› Police learn about autism

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